Yarn winder

Abstract

Contact pressure is suppressed from being different between packages even if the setting of the contact pressure applied to the packages is changed. A yarn winder 4 includes a base 20, a bobbin holder 24, a contact roller 25, an air cylinder 35, a tilting mechanism 40, a postural change sensor 66, and a controller 26. The controller 26 controls the tilting mechanism 40 such that an actual angle-related value detected by the postural change sensor 66 is equal to a target value that is determined in accordance with the weight of yarns Y wound onto bobbins B and independently from a set value of a contact pressure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a yarn winder.

[0002] A yarn winder disclosed in each of Patent Literatures 1 and 2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2018-203472 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-281266) includes a bobbin holder and a contact roller. The bobbin holder is cantilever-supported in an axial direction that is substantially parallel to the horizontal direction, so as to support multiple bobbins aligned in the axial direction. The contact roller applies a contact pressure to the surfaces of packages formed by winding yarns onto bobbins, and adjusts the shape of each of the packages.

[0003] Patent Literature 1 further discloses a tilting mechanism (angle changer) having an air cylinder, which is used for adjusting the tilt angle of the contact roller relative to the horizontal direction. This mechanism is provided to suppress differences in contact pressure between the packages by causing the contact roller to follow the bending of the bobbin holder on account of the thickening of the packages (i.e., increase in weight of the packages). More specifically, the angle changer adjusts the position of the end portion in the axial direction of the contact roller in the vertical direction in accordance with the thrust force of the air cylinder. As a result, the tilt angle of the contact roller is adjusted.

[0004] Patent Literature 2 discloses a contact pressure cylinder (contact pressure changer) which is configured to apply at least a force on the contact roller acting in the vertical direction. A resultant force of the variable force applied from the contact pressure cylinder to the contact roller and the force caused by the own weight of the contact roller acts on the packages as the contact pressure. The setting of the contact pressure changer can be switched at the user's discretion according to the type of the package, etc.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The inventors of the subject application tried to apply the contact pressure changer of Patent Literature 2 to the yarn winder of Patent Literature 1. In so doing, they found that the relationship between the thrust force of the air cylinder of the angle changer and the tilt angle of the contact roller changes depending on the setting of the magnitude of the contact pressure. They also found that, even though the angle changer is provided, there is a risk that the contact pressure is different between the packages in the axial direction.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to suppress a contact pressure from being different between packages even if the setting of the contact pressure applied to the packages is changed.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the invention, a yarn winder includes: a base; a bobbin holder which holds bobbins aligned in a predetermined axial direction having a horizontal component and is cantilevered by the base; a contact roller which extends at least in the axial direction and applies a contact pressure to packages formed by winding yarns onto the respective bobbins; a contact pressure changer which is capable of changing the contact pressure by applying, to the contact roller, a first force whose magnitude is changeable at least in a vertical direction; an angle changer which is capable of changing a tilt angle of the contact roller relative to the horizontal direction by applying, to the contact roller, a second force which is different from the first force and whose magnitude is changeable at least in the vertical direction; a detection unit which is configured to detect information of an actual angle-related value related to the actual tilt angle of the contact roller; and a controller, the controller controlling the angle changer such that the actual angle-related value is equal to a target value that is determined in accordance with the weight of the yarns wound onto the respective bobbins and independently from a set value of the contact pressure.

[0008] According to this aspect of the present invention, the relationship between the second force and the tilt angle of the contact roller may change in accordance with the contact pressure. On this account, according to the present invention, the angle changer is controlled so that the actual angle-related value related to the actual tilt angle is equal to the target value that is determined independently from the set value of the contact pressure. This makes it possible to suppress the actual angle-related value from being deviated from the target value, without using the set value of the contact pressure. It is therefore possible to suppress the contact pressure from being different between the packages even if the setting of the contact pressure applied to the packages is changed.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of the first aspect further includes a moving unit which is movable at least in the vertical direction together with the contact roller, the detection unit being configured to detect information regarding a postural change amount of the moving unit in the vertical direction as the information of the actual angle-related value.

[0010] Because a change of the bending angle of the bobbin holder and a change of the tilt angle of the contact roller relative to the horizontal direction are very small. Due to this, the detection accuracy is disadvantageously low when the tilt angle itself is detected. In this regard, because the contact roller typically extends long in the horizontal direction, the postural change amount in the vertical direction of the moving unit is easily detectable even with a small change in the tilt angle. For this reason, the postural change amount of the moving unit is effective as a physical quantity detected in place of the tilt angle. By detecting the postural change amount of the moving unit and controlling the angle changer, the tilt angle of the contact roller can be substantially controlled. It is therefore possible to effectively suppress the packages from being different in contact pressure.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the invention, a yarn winder includes: a base; a bobbin holder which holds bobbins aligned in a predetermined axial direction having a horizontal component and is cantilevered by the base; a contact roller which extends at least in the axial direction and applies a contact pressure to packages formed by winding yarns onto the respective bobbins; a contact pressure changer which is capable of changing the contact pressure by applying, to the contact roller, a first force whose magnitude is changeable at least in a vertical direction; an angle changer which is capable of changing a tilt angle of the contact roller relative to the horizontal direction by applying, to the contact roller, a second force which is different from the first force and whose magnitude is changeable at least in the vertical direction; and a controller, the controller controlling the angle changer by using force adjustment information related to an adjustment amount of the second force in accordance with a set value of the contact pressure.

[0012] According to the aspect of the present invention, based on the force adjustment information corresponding to the set value of contact pressure, an appropriate second force corresponding to the weight of the packages can be applied to the contact roller. Because of this, the tilt angle can be adjusted appropriately. On this account, in the same manner as in the first aspect of the invention, it is possible to suppress the contact pressure from being different between the packages even if the setting of the contact pressure applied to the packages is changed.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of any one of the first to third aspects is arranged such that the angle changer includes: a fluid pressure cylinder as a driving source for applying the second force to the contact roller; and a pressure adjuster which is configured to be able to adjust pressure of fluid supplied to the fluid pressure cylinder.

[0014] According to the aspect of the present invention, by using the fluid pressure cylinder in the driving source of the angle changer and adjusting the output of the fluid pressure cylinder with the pressure adjuster, the structure of the yarn winder can be simplified.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of the fourth aspect is arranged such that the fluid pressure cylinder is an air cylinder.

[0016] According to the aspect of the present invention, because, for example, the air cylinder that is inexpensive as compared to a hydraulic cylinder is used, the increase in cost of parts of the yarn winder can be suppressed.

[0017] According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of the fifth aspect is arranged such that the pressure adjuster is an electro-pneumatic regulator.

[0018] According to the aspect of the present invention, the output of the air cylinder can be reliably adjusted with a simple configuration.

[0019] According to a seventh aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of any one of the fourth to sixth aspects is arranged such that the angle changer includes: a roller supporting member which supports the contact roller to be rotatable; and an elevation unit which is driven by the fluid pressure cylinder and is configured to move up and down one end portion in the axial direction of the roller supporting member.

[0020] According to the aspect of the present invention, as compared to, for example, a configuration in which an inner portion in the axial direction of the roller supporting member is moved up and down, it is possible to suppress the change amount of the tilt angle relative to the postural change amount of the roller supporting member to be small. This facilitates fine adjustment of the tilt angle.

[0021] According to an eighth aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of the seventh aspect is arranged such that the elevation unit includes an intervention mechanism which is provided between the fluid pressure cylinder and the roller supporting member in a transmission direction in which a force of the fluid pressure cylinder is transmitted and is arranged to increase a force required to further increase the postural change amount as the postural change amount of the one end portion in the axial direction of the roller supporting member increases in the vertical direction relative to an initial position.

[0022] According to the aspect of the present invention, a larger force is required when the postural change amount of the roller supporting member is increased. Therefore, even when it is difficult to strictly adjust the thrust force of the fluid pressure cylinder, the postural change amount of the roller supporting member can be controlled accurately. Therefore, it is possible to accurately control the tilt angle of the contact roller.

[0023] According to a ninth aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of the seventh or eighth aspect is arranged such that the contact pressure changer is configured to apply the first force to the contact roller by applying a force to the other end portion in the axial direction of the roller supporting member.

[0024] According to the aspect of the present invention, the roller supporting member can be stably supported at both ends by the elevation unit and the contact pressure changer. Therefore, the contact pressure can be stably adjusted.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 is a side view of a spun yarn take-up machine including a yarn winder of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the yarn winder. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rear portion of a contact roller and a tilting mechanism. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the tilting mechanism. FIGs. 5(a) to 5(c) illustrate how the tilting mechanism operates. FIGs. 6(a) to 6(c) illustrate how the posture of the contact roller changes. FIG. 7 supplements FIG. 5(a). FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the postural change amount of a roller supporting member and the load on an air cylinder. FIG. 9 is a table showing the relationship between the weight of a package and a target value of the postural change amount of the roller supporting member. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the control of the postural change amount of the roller supporting member during yarn winding. FIGs. 11(a) and FIG. 11(b) relate to a modification. FIG. 11(a) is a table showing the relationship between the weight of each package and a target value of the pressure of compressed air, and FIG. 11(b) is a table showing the relationship between a contact pressure and an adjustment amount of the pressure of compressed air. FIG. 12 relates to the modification and is a flow chart showing the control of the pressure of compressed air during yarn winding. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The following will describe an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of a spun yarn take-up machine 1 including a yarn winder 4 (described later) of the present embodiment. The up-down direction on the sheet of FIG. 1 will be referred to as an up-down direction. The up-down direction is parallel to the vertical direction in which the gravity acts. The left-right direction on the sheet of FIG. 1, which is orthogonal to the up-down direction, will be referred to as the front-rear direction (axial direction in the present invention). A direction orthogonal to both the up-down direction and the front-rear direction (i.e., a direction perpendicular to the sheet of FIG. 1) is set as a left-right direction.(Outline of Spun Yarn Take-Up Machine)

[0027] The spun yarn take-up machine 1 is configured to take up yarns Y spun out from a spinning apparatus 3, to wind the yarns Y onto bobbins B, respectively, and to form packages P. The spun yarn take-up machine 1 includes a first godet roller 11, a second godet roller 12, and a yarn winder 4.

[0028] The first godet roller 11 is a roller having an axis substantially in parallel to the left-right direction. The first godet roller 11 is provided above a front end portion of the yarn winder 4. The first godet roller 11 is rotationally driven by an unillustrated motor. The second godet roller 12 is a roller having an axis substantially in parallel to the left-right direction. The second godet roller 12 is provided above and rearward of the first godet roller 11. The second godet roller 12 is rotationally driven by an unillustrated motor.

[0029] The yarn winder 4 is arranged to perform a winding operation of forming packages P by winding yarns Y onto respective bobbins B. The structure of the yarn winder 4 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is a front view of the yarn winder 4. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rear portion of a contact roller 25 and a later-described tilting mechanism 40. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the tilting mechanism 40. The yarn winder 4 includes a base 20, fulcrum guides 21, traverse guides 22, a turret 23, two bobbin holders 24, a contact roller 25, and a controller 26.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the base 20 includes a base main body 27 and a frame 28. The base main body 27 is provided to vertically extend at a rear portion of the yarn winder 4. The base main body 27 supports the turret 23 or the like. The frame 28 is, for example, a hollow column-shaped member. The frame 28 is fixed to an upper portion of the base main body 27 and extends forward from the base main body 27. The frame 28 supports a contact roller 25. As shown in FIG. 3, at an upper part of the rear end portion of the frame 28, a cutout is formed by side surfaces 28a, 28b, and 28c. The side surface 28a is formed at a right end portion of the frame 28. The side surface 28b is formed at a left end portion of the frame 28. The side surface 28c faces rearward. At the rear end portion of the frame 28, a later-described tilting mechanism 40 is provided.

[0031] The fulcrum guides 21 are provided for the respective yarns Y. Each of the fulcrum guides 21 is a guide functioning as a fulcrum when the corresponding yarn Y is traversed. The fulcrum guides 21 are aligned in the front-rear direction.

[0032] The traverse guides 22 are provided for the respective yarns Y. Each of the traverse guides 22 is a guide for traversing the corresponding yarn Y. The traverse guides 22 are aligned in the front-rear direction. The traverse guides 22 are driven by a traverse motor (not illustrated). The yarn Y threaded into the traverse guide 22 is traversed about the fulcrum guide 21.

[0033] The turret 23 is a disc-shaped member having an axis substantially in parallel to the front-rear direction. The turret 23 is rotatably supported by the base main body 27. The turret 23 is rotationally driven by an unillustrated turret motor. The turret 23 cantilevers the two bobbin holders 24. The turret 23 moves the two bobbin holders 24 by rotating about a rotation axis that is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. The turret 23 is arranged (see a solid arrow in FIG. 2) to be rotatable at the time of yarn winding onto the bobbins B in accordance with increase in amount of the wound yarns Y.

[0034] Each of the two bobbin holders 24 is arranged to rotatably hold (support) bobbins B such that the bobbins B are aligned in the front-rear direction. The two bobbin holders 24 are arranged to be point symmetric with each other about the rotation axis center of the turret 23. Each bobbin holder 24 extends forward from the turret 23. To put it differently, the two bobbin holders 24 are cantilevered by the base main body 27 via the turret 23. The axes of the two bobbin holders 24 are substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. The leading end side (front end portion) of the bobbin holder 24 is typically a working side where operations such as attaching the bobbins B to the bobbin holder 24 are performed. To each bobbin holder 24, bobbins B are attached to be lined up in the front-rear direction. The number of bobbins B attached to one bobbin holder 24 is, for example, 16, but is not limited to this. Each of the two bobbin holders 24 is rotationally driven by an individual winding motor (not illustrated).

[0035] The contact roller 25 is provided immediately above the upper bobbin holder 24. The axial direction of the contact roller 25 is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. The contact roller 25 is configured to make contact with the surfaces of the packages P supported by the upper bobbin holder 24. With this arrangement, the contact roller 25 applies a contact pressure to the surfaces of the unfinished packages P so as to adjust the shape of each package P.

[0036] In the present embodiment, the contact roller 25 is swingably supported by the frame 28 via a roller supporting member 30. As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the roller supporting member 30 includes, for example, a supporting portion 31, an arm portion 32, and a swing shaft 33. The supporting portion 31 rotatably supports the contact roller 25 at the respective end portions of the contact roller 25 in the front-rear direction. The arm portion 32 is, for example, a bar-shaped member. The arm portion 32 has one end portion connected to the supporting portion 31, and extends toward the frame 28 in the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The swing shaft 33 is connected to the other end portion of the arm portion 32 and extends along the front-rear direction, and a front end portion and a rear end portion of the swing shaft 33 are swingably supported by the frame 28. The rear end portion of the swing shaft 33 is supported by a later-described tilting mechanism 40. The total weight of the contact roller 25 and the roller supporting member 30 is, for example, about 200 kg, but is not limited to this.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the yarn winder 4 of the present embodiment further includes an air cylinder 35 (contact pressure changer of the present invention). The air cylinder 35 is designed to change the contact pressure applied from the contact roller 25 to the packages P in accordance with the pressure of supplied compressed air. The air cylinder 35 includes a cylinder main body 37 and a rod end 36. The rod end 36 is, for example, swingably supported by a supporter 28L fixed to a lower part of the front end portion of the frame 28 via a swing shaft 36a that extends along the front-rear direction. The rod end 36 is fixed to the leading end of a piston rod (reference number omitted) of the air cylinder 35 and is movable relative to the cylinder main body 37. The cylinder main body 37 is swingably connected to an intermediate portion of the arm portion 32 in the extending direction of the arm portion 32 via a joint 38. An electro-pneumatic regulator 39 is connected to the cylinder main body 37. The electro-pneumatic regulator 39 is electrically connected to the controller 26. The electro-pneumatic regulator 39 is configured to adjust the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the cylinder main body 37 according to a command from the controller 26. The air cylinder 35 applies, to the roller supporting member 30, a force F (see FIG. 2) that has at least a vertical component. As a result, a force (first force of the present invention) having at least a vertical component is applied to the contact roller 25 via the roller supporting member. The magnitude of the force F changes in accordance with the pressure of the compressed air. The pressure of the compressed air is typically not changed while the yarn Y is being wound onto the bobbin B. The information regarding the pressure of compressed air (i.e., information of contact pressure) is stored in advance in, for example, the controller 26 in accordance with the specifications of the package P. The information of the contact pressure is set in advance at the controller 26 by an operator who monitors the operation state of the yarn winder 4, for example.

[0038] The controller 26 includes members such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The controller 26 is configured to control members by the CPU, based on a program stored in the ROM. In addition, the controller 26 has an unillustrated input unit (keyboard, touch panel, mouse, etc.) for the operator to perform input tasks.

[0039] In the yarn winder 4 structured as described above, when the upper bobbin holder 24 is rotationally driven, the yarns Y traversed by the traverse guides 22 are wound onto the bobbins B, with the result that the packages P are formed. When the formation of the packages P is completed, the turret 23 is rotated. This switches over the upper and lower positions of the two bobbin holders 24. Because of this, the bobbin holder 24 having been at the lower position is accordingly moved to the upper position. Subsequently, the yarns Y are transferred from the packages P to the bobbins B (new bobbins B) attached to the upper bobbin holder 24 (bobbin change; not illustrated). After the bobbin change, the yarns Y are wound onto the respective new bobbins B, so that the packages P are formed. In this regard, the bobbin holder 24 to which the fully-formed packages P are attached is moved to the lower position. The fully-formed packages P are collected by, e.g., an unillustrated package collector. The operation of the yarn winder 4 from the start of winding the yarns Y onto the bobbins B to the completion of the winding is the above-described winding operation.(Tilting Mechanism)

[0040] The following describes the structure of the tilting mechanism 40 (angle changer of the present invention) with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the tilting mechanism 40 includes an air cylinder 41 (a fluid pressure cylinder of the present invention) and an intervention mechanism 42 (elevation unit of the present invention). The air cylinder 41 is the driving source of the intervention mechanism 42. The intervention mechanism 42 is interposed between the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 and the air cylinder 41 in the direction in which the force of the air cylinder 41 is transmitted. The air cylinder 41 and the intervention mechanism 42 are provided at a rear end portion of the frame 28 (i.e., at an end portion on the base end side of the bobbin holder 24 in the front-rear direction). The rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 corresponds to one end portion in the axial direction of the present invention. The front end portion of the roller supporting member 30 corresponds to the other end portion in the axial direction of the present invention.

[0041] The air cylinder 41 is configured to change the posture of the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 in the up-down direction, through the intervention mechanism 42. The air cylinder 41 is a driving source for applying, to the contact roller 25, a force (second force of the present invention) that has at least a vertical component. The air cylinder 41 is housed in the rear end portion of the frame 28 and is supported by the frame 28. The air cylinder 41 includes, as shown in FIG. 4, a cylinder main body 43 and a piston rod 45. The cylinder main body 43 has a working chamber 44 to which compressed air (fluid of the present invention) is supplied. The piston rod 45 elongates or contracts as the compressed air is supplied to or discharged to or from the working chamber 44. The working chamber 44 is connected to the electro-pneumatic regulator 47 (pressure adjuster of the present invention). The electro-pneumatic regulator 47 is electrically connected to the controller 26. The electro-pneumatic regulator 47 adjusts the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the working chamber 44 in accordance with a command from the controller 26. The piston rod 45 protrudes upward from the upper end portion of the cylinder main body 43. The piston rod 45 is housed in the above-described cutout of the frame 28 and is able to elongate and contract in the up-down direction. At a leading end portion of the piston rod 45, an upper end face 46 is formed to be substantially parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0042] The intervention mechanism 42 is interposed between the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 and the air cylinder 41 to transmit the thrust force of the air cylinder 41 to the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30. The intervention mechanism 42 includes a first intervention portion 50 and a second intervention portion 60, for example.

[0043] The first intervention portion 50 is directly pressed by the piston rod 45 and transmits the thrust force of the air cylinder 41 to the second intervention portion 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the first intervention portion 50 is swingably supported by the frame 28 via a first fulcrum shaft 51 which extends along the front-rear direction. The first intervention portion 50 includes a first main body 52, a first roller 53, and a supporter 54.

[0044] The first main body 52 is a substantially rectangular member when viewed from behind. The first main body 52 is swingably supported by the side surface 28c of the frame 28 via the first fulcrum shaft 51 to be able to support the first roller 53 and the supporter 54. The first roller 53 is provided at a position which is to the left of the first fulcrum shaft 51 (rightward in the sheet of FIG. 4) by a predetermined distance. The first roller 53 is a roller which rotates about an axis 59 extending substantially parallel to the first fulcrum shaft 51 and is rotatably supported by the first main body 52. The first roller 53 is in contact with the upper end face 46 of the piston rod 45. The supporter 54 is provided to support the second intervention portion 60 from below. The supporter 54 is roughly a T-shaped member when viewed from behind. A lower portion of the supporter 54 is detachably attached to the first main body 52 by a fixing member 55. In the supporter 54, a cutout which is substantially U-shaped when viewed from behind is formed to cover the circumferential surface of the first roller 53 except its lower portion. The supporter 54 has a top surface 56. The upper surface 56 has a supporting surface 57 (see a thick line in FIG. 4). The supporting surface 57 supports the second intervention portion 60 by making contact with the later-described second roller 62 from below. To put it differently, the supporting surface 57 is a part of the top surface 56, which is able to make contact with the second roller 62. A part of the supporting surface 57, which is in contact with the second roller 62, will be referred to as a contact point 58.

[0045] The position of the roller supporting member 30 when the roller supporting member 30 is substantially horizontal is referred to as an initial position of the roller supporting member 30 for the convenience of explanation. Furthermore, for the convenience of explanation, a postural change amount in the vertical direction of the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 from the initial position is simply referred to as a postural change amount. The supporting surface 57 extends upward and away from the first fulcrum shaft 51 in the left-right direction when, for example, the postural change amount of the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 is zero. The upward direction is the direction in which the piston rod 45 protrudes. The supporting surface 57 is a curved surface which is curved so that the degree of inclination relative to the horizontal direction increases toward the first fulcrum shaft 51 in the horizontal direction. The supporting surface 57 is provided between the first roller 53 and the first fulcrum shaft 51 in the left-right direction.

[0046] The second intervention portion 60 is configured to transmit, to the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30, a thrust force of the air cylinder 41 transmitted via the first intervention portion 50. The second intervention portion 60 includes a second main body 61 (moving unit of the present invention) and a second roller 62.

[0047] The second main body 61 is a substantially rectangular member when viewed from behind. The second main body 61 extends in the left-right direction. At a left end portion (right end portion in the sheet of FIG. 4), the second main body 61 is supported by a second fulcrum shaft 63 which is positionally different from the first fulcrum shaft 51, so as to be swingable in the up-down direction relative to the frame 28. At a right end portion (left end portion in the sheet of FIG. 4) of the second main body 61, a connecting portion 64 is connected to the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 and is provided to support the roller supporting member 30 to be swingable. To put it differently, the contact roller 25 is connected to the second main body 61 via the roller supporting member 30. The second main body 61 is movable (swingable) at least in the vertical direction together with the contact roller 25. The second main body 61 is driven by the air cylinder 41 to move the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 up and down.

[0048] The second roller 62 is a roller provided at a position which is between the second fulcrum shaft 63 and the connecting portion 64 in the left-right direction and is behind the second main body 61 (i.e., a position close to the viewer of FIG. 4). The second roller 62 is rotatably supported by the second main body 61 and is rotatable about an axis 65 which is substantially parallel to the second fulcrum shaft 63. The second roller 62 is in contact with the supporting surface 57 of the first intervention portion 50 so as to be directly supported by the supporter 54. To put it differently, a rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 is indirectly supported by the supporter 54 via the second roller 62. The second roller 62 is swingable in the up-down direction together with the second main body 61. In other words, the second roller 62 is posturally changeable at least in the up-down direction.(Operation of Tilting Mechanism and Posture of Contact Roller)

[0049] The following will describe how the tilting mechanism 40 operates and how the posture of the contact roller 25 is changed by the operation of the tilting mechanism 40, with reference to FIGs. 5(a) to 6(c). FIGs. 5(a) to 5(c) illustrate how the tilting mechanism 40 operates. FIGs. 6(a) to 6(c) illustrate how the posture of the contact roller 25 changes.

[0050] To begin with, the outline of the operation of the tilting mechanism 40 will be described. As the above-described controller 26 controls the electro-pneumatic regulator 47, compressed air with a predetermined pressure is supplied to the working chamber 44 of the air cylinder 41. The piston rod 45 is elongated by the compressed air, and the first roller 53 of the first intervention portion 50 is pressed upward. The first intervention portion 50 is pressed upward via the first roller 53. As the first intervention portion 50 is pressed upward, the second roller 62 of the second intervention portion 60, which is in contact with the supporting surface 57, is pressed upward. When the force of pressing the second roller 62 upward and the downward force exerted by the weight of the contact roller 25 or the like are balanced, the postures of the first intervention portion 50 and the second intervention portion 60 are fixed and hence the postures of the roller supporting member 30 and the contact roller 25 are fixed. When the force of pressing the second roller 62 upward is larger than the downward force, the first intervention portion 50 and the second intervention portion 60 swing upward, and the connecting portion 64 of the second intervention portion 60 and the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 move upward (see FIG. 5(a) to FIG. 5(c)). When the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 moves upward, the contact roller 25 is tilted and changes its posture so that the rear end portion of the contact roller 25 is at a relatively high position whereas the front end portion of the contact roller 25 is at a relatively low position (see FIG. 6(a) to FIG. 6(c)).

[0051] With reference to FIG. 5, specific forces acting on the intervention mechanism 42 will be described with the focus on the first intervention portion 50. On the first intervention portion 50, a moment of upward force exerted by the air cylinder 41 and a moment of downward force exerted by the weight of the contact roller 25 act, with the first fulcrum shaft 51 functioning as a fulcrum. When these two moments of force are balanced, the first intervention portion 50 remains stationary. When the moment of upward force is larger than the moment of downward force, the first intervention portion 50 swings upward. To put it differently, the first intervention portion 50 is moved based on the principle of levers, utilizing the first fulcrum shaft 51 as a fulcrum, a part of the first roller 53 in contact with the upper end face 46 as a force point, and the contact point 58 of the supporting surface 57 as an action point.

[0052] FIG. 5(a) shows a state of the tilting mechanism 40 before the start of winding of the yarns Y onto the bobbins B. In this state, the posture of the second main body 61 of the second intervention portion 60 is maintained to be substantially horizontal because the moment of force moving the first intervention portion 50 upward and the moment of force moving the first intervention portion downward are balanced. In this state, the upward postural change amount of the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 (hereinafter, this will be simply referred to as the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30) is zero. These two moments of force will be specifically described below.

[0053] First, the moment of upward force will be described. As described above, the piston rod 45 presses the first roller 53 upward. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the moment of upward force with the first fulcrum shaft 51 acting as a fulcrum acts on the first intervention portion 50, because the thrust force F1a of the air cylinder 41 acts on the first roller 53. Provided that the horizontal distance between a part of the first roller 53 where the first roller 53 is in contact with the upper end face 46 of the piston rod 45 and the first fulcrum shaft 51 is a distance L1a (i.e., force point distance), the magnitude of the above-described moment of force is represented as F1a x L1a.

[0054] Subsequent to the above, the moment of downward force will be described. On the second intervention portion 60, a downward force acts on account of the weight of the contact roller 25 or the like. With this, a downward force F2a acts on the contact point 58a of the supporting surface 57 via the second roller 62. The magnitude of the moment of force moving the first intervention portion 50 downward is, as described below, represented as F2a x L2a, provided that the horizontal distance between the contact point 58 and the first fulcrum shaft 51 is a distance L2a.

[0055] The details of the moment of downward force will be given with reference to FIG. 7. In the force F2a, a component of force in the direction of rotating the first intervention portion 50 is a component in the direction orthogonal to a line segment connecting the first fulcrum shaft 51 with the contact point 58a, i.e., is a force F2aa. The vector of the force F2aa is inclined with respect to the vector of the force F2a (i.e., the vertical direction) by an angle θ). Provided that the length of the line segment connecting the first fulcrum shaft 51 with the contact point 58a is L, the magnitude of the moment of force moving the first intervention portion 50 downward is calculated by F2aa x L, i.e., F2a x cosθ x L. The line segment connecting the first fulcrum shaft 51 to the contact point 58a is inclined to the horizontal direction by the angle θ. On this account, the magnitude of the above-described distance L2a is represented as L2a = L x cosθ. In other words, the magnitude of the above-described moment of force is represented as F2a x cosθ x L = F2a x L2a. This distance L2a is the action point distance.

[0056] In FIG. 5(a), the above-described two moments of force are balanced. This is represented as F1a x L1a = F2a x L2a. In other words, F1a = F2a x L2a / L1a. The magnitude of F1a indicates the magnitude of the upward thrust force of the air cylinder 41 and at the same time the magnitude of a downward load acting on the air cylinder 41. Because L1a > L2a, the thrust force F1a of the air cylinder 41 is small as compared to the downward force F2a.

[0057] Because the magnitudes of the above-described two moments of forces are balanced, the postures of the first intervention portion 50 and the second intervention portion 60 are fixed and the posture of the second main body 61 of the second intervention portion 60 is maintained to be substantially horizontal. On this account, the posture of the contact roller 25 is also maintained to be substantially horizontal (see FIG. 6(a)).

[0058] The following will describe a postural change of the roller supporting member 30 while the yarns Y are being wound onto the respective bobbins B. FIG. 5(b) shows the state of the tilting mechanism 40 when the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 is exactly between zero and the maximum postural change amount.

[0059] When the thrust force of the air cylinder 41 becomes larger than F1a (see FIG. 5(a)), the first intervention portion 50 swings upward with the first fulcrum shaft 51 acting as a fulcrum. Because the inclination of the first intervention portion 50 increases relative to the horizontal direction, the distance L1b which is the horizontal distance between the first roller 53 and the first fulcrum shaft 51 becomes shorter than the distance L1a. The first roller 53 rotates upon making contact with the upper end face 46 of the piston rod 45, and smoothly follows the above-described change of the horizontal distance. To put it differently, the above-described force point distance smoothly changes in accordance with the swing of the first intervention portion 50. As shown in FIG. 5(b), provided that the thrust force of the air cylinder 41 is a thrust force F1b whereas the force point distance is a distance L1b, the magnitude of the moment of upward force is represented as F1b x L1b. The distance L1b is shorter than the distance L1a (see FIG. 5(a)).

[0060] As the first intervention portion 50 swings as described above, the supporting surface 57 also swings and the second roller 62 in contact with the supporting surface 57 starts to posturally change upward with the second fulcrum shaft 63 acting as a fulcrum. In this regard, because the direction of the swing of the second roller 62 is opposite to the direction of the swing of the supporting surface 57, the second roller 62 moves relative to the supporting surface 57 when the supporting surface 57 swings. As a result, the contact point 58b becomes far from the first fulcrum shaft 51 as compared to the contact point 58a in FIG. 5(a). (In other words, the action point distance is increased.) The second roller 62 rotates upon making contact with the supporting surface 57, and therefore smoothly follows the swing of the first intervention portion 50.

[0061] As described above, the supporting surface 57 extends away from the first fulcrum shaft 51 in the left-right direction and extends upward. On this account, when the first intervention portion 50 posturally changes upward and the contact point 58 becomes far from the first fulcrum shaft 51, postural change of the second roller 62 upward along the supporting surface 57 certainly occurs. Furthermore, the supporting surface 57 is curved so that the tilt angle relative to the horizontal direction increases toward the first fulcrum shaft 51 in the horizontal direction. On this account, even when the action point distance is relatively short, the postural change amount of the second roller 62 in the up-down direction on account of the postural change of the first intervention portion 50 is large due to the large inclination of the curved surface. In this connection, when the action point distance is relatively long, postural change of the second roller 62 in the up-down direction in response to the postural change of the first intervention portion 50 is large even if the tilt angle of the supporting surface 57 is small.

[0062] Provided that the moment of downward force acting on the contact point 58b is F2b and the action point distance is a distance L2b, the magnitude of the moment of downward force is represented as F2b x L2b. In FIG. 5(b), because F1b x L1b = F2b x L2b, the postures of the first intervention portion 50 and the second intervention portion 60 are fixed. In other words, F1b = F2b x L2b / L1b. In this stage, the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 has been moved upward and the contact roller 25 is inclined relative to the horizontal direction (see FIG. 6(b)). At this stage, the yarns Y are being wound onto the bobbins B, and the diameter of each of the packages P is about half as long as the maximum diameter.

[0063] In this state, even if the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 with zero postural change amount (i.e., the second main body 61 is substantially horizontal) slightly moves upward, the magnitude of the force F2b remains substantially identical with the magnitude of the force F2a (see FIG. 5(a)). Meanwhile, the distance L2b (action point distance) is longer than the distance L2a (see FIG. 5(a)). In addition to the above, the distance L1b (force point distance) is shorter than the distance L1a (see FIG. 5(a)). In other words, when the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 is increased, the load on the air cylinder 41 is increased on account of the increase in the action point distance and the decrease in the force point distance. A larger thrust force of the air cylinder is therefore required to further increase the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30.

[0064] The above-described load increases as the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 increases. As shown in FIG. 5(c), when the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 is maximum, the distance L1c which is the force point distance is further shortened (L1c < L1b < L1a) whereas the distance L2c which is the action point distance is further increased (L2c > L2b > L2a). In this state, provided that the thrust force of the air cylinder 41 is a thrust force F1c and the downward force acting on the contact point 58c is a force F2c, an equation F1c x L1c = F2c x L2c holds. In this state, the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 has been further moved upward and the contact roller 25 is further inclined relative to the horizontal direction (see FIG. 6(c)). In this state, the yarns Y are fully wound onto the packages P.(Relationship between Postural Change Amount and Load)

[0065] The relationship between the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 and the load on the air cylinder 41, which have been described above, will be described with reference to the graph in FIG. 8. Here, for simplicity, assume that the above-described contact pressure is "medium". The horizontal axis of the graph indicates a postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30. The vertical axis of the graph indicates a load acting on the air cylinder 41 (i.e., a thrust force required to further move the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30). As described above, when the postural change amount is zero, the magnitude of the load acting on the air cylinder 41 is F1a.

[0066] When yarns Y are being wound onto the bobbins B, the controller 26 performs, for example, below-described control to cause the contact roller 25 to incline in accordance with a change in inclination of the bobbin holder 24 on account of increase in diameter of the packages P. The controller 26 controls the electro-pneumatic regulator 47 to gradually increase the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 41 over time. Information regarding the pressure change over time is, for example, stored in a ROM, etc. As the pressure increases, the thrust force of the air cylinder 41 gradually increases from F1a. Accordingly, the tilting mechanism 40 operates as described above, and the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 gradually moves upward.

[0067] For example, provided that the maximum postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 is X, the magnitude of the load acting on the air cylinder 41 is above-described F1b when the roller supporting member 30 is posturally changed half as much as the maximum postural change amount, i.e., changed by X / 2. Similarly, when the roller supporting member 30 is posturally changed by X, the magnitude of the load acting on the air cylinder 41 is above-described F1c. To put it differently, the load on the air cylinder 41 generated by the weight of the contact roller 25 is amplified by the intervention mechanism 42, as the above-described postural change amount increases. On this account, as the postural change amount increases, the thrust force of the air cylinder 41 required to further move the roller supporting member 30 increases. The relationship between the postural change amount and the load described above may be arranged to be linear as shown in FIG. 8 by adjusting the shape of the supporting surface 57, the positional relationship between the first intervention portion 50 and the second intervention portion 60, etc. The relationship may be different from this, on condition that the postural change amount and the load certainly one-to-one correspond to each other.

[0068] It was found that the relationship between the thrust force of the air cylinder 41 of the tilting mechanism 40 and the tilt angle of the contact roller 25 changes depending on the setting of the above-described contact pressure (control of the electro-pneumatic regulator by the controller 26). The following describes further details with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the postural change amount and the load in each case of contact pressure being "small", "medium", and "large".

[0069] The roller supporting member 30 is supported at both ends in the front-rear direction by the air cylinder 35 and the intervention mechanism 42. When the contact pressure is "small", which is lower than "medium", the force with which a package P pushes the contact roller 25 upward is relatively small due to the action-reaction law. Therefore, the force required for the intervention mechanism 42 to support the roller supporting member 30 is relatively large. Then, the thrust force required to increase the postural change amount is relatively large, too. More specifically, the thrust force required to posturally change the roller supporting member 30 in the vertical direction by X / 2 is a greater thrust force F1L than the thrust force F1b required when the contact pressure is "medium". When the contact pressure is "medium", the air cylinder 41 outputs a thrust force F1b, causing the roller supporting member 30 to posturally change by X / 2 in the vertical direction. However, when the contact pressure is "small", the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 when the thrust force F1b is output is XL, which is smaller than X / 2. On the other hand, when the contact pressure is relatively high and is "large", the force with which the package P pushes the contact roller 25 upward is relatively large. Therefore, the force required for the intervention mechanism 42 to support the roller supporting member 30 is relatively small. Then, the thrust force required to increase the postural change amount is relatively small, too. More specifically, the thrust force required to posturally change the roller supporting member 30 in the vertical direction by X / 2 is a smaller thrust force F1H than the thrust force F1b. When the contact pressure is "large", the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 when the thrust force F1b is output is XH, which is greater than X / 2. In this way, the relationship between the thrust force of the air cylinder 41 and the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 (i.e., the relationship between the thrust force and the tilt angle of the contact roller 25) changes. On this account, it was found that, even though the tilting mechanism 40 is provided, there is a risk that the contact pressure is different between the packages P in the axial direction. Therefore, in order to suppress the contact pressure from being different between the packages P even if the setting of the contact pressure applied to the packages P is changed, the yarn winder 4 is structured as described below.(Further Details of Yarn Winder)

[0070] The following will describe further details of the yarn winder 4 with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a table showing the relationship between the weight of each package P and a target value of the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 4, the yarn winder 4 includes a postural change sensor 66 (detection unit of the present invention). The postural change sensor 66 is a sensor for detecting the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30. The postural change sensor 66 is, for example, a known type such as an optical postural change sensor, a linear proximity sensor, and an ultrasonic postural change sensor. The postural change sensor 66 is, for example, provided below a right end portion of the second main body 61. The postural change sensor 66 is attached to the right end of the rear end portion of the frame 28, for example. The postural change sensor 66 is configured to be able to detect the postural change amount of the right end portion of the second main body 61, for example. The postural change sensor 66 is electrically connected to the controller 26. The postural change sensor 66 sends a detection signal regarding the postural change amount of the right end portion of the second main body 61 to the controller 26. The postural change sensor 66 may be attached to a location different from the right end portion of the second main body 61.

[0072] For example, the controller 26 stores in RAM a table (see FIG. 9) that shows the relationship between the weight of a package P and the target value of the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30. The weight of the package P here refers to the weight of a single package P. Furthermore, the weight of the package P refers to the weight excluding the weight of the bobbin (that is, the weight of the yarn Y included in the package P). The postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 is, to be precise, the postural change amount of the right end portion of the second main body 61. In the example shown in FIG. 9, when the weight of the package P (hereinafter, simply referred to as weight) is 0 kg, the target value of the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 (hereinafter, simply referred to as postural change amount) is 0 mm. When the weight is W / 200 (the unit is kg, same hereinafter), the target value of the postural change amount is X / 50 (the unit is mm, same hereinafter). When the weight is 6W / 25, the target value of the postural change amount is 2X / 5. When the weight is W, the target value of the postural change amount is X. The relation between the weight of the package P and the target value of the postural change amount is determined independently from the set value of the contact pressure. The value of W indicating the weight of the package P is, for example, 16 kg, and the value of X indicating the target value of the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 is, for example, 8.0 mm. The disclosure, however, is not limited to these values.(Control of Postural Change Amount)

[0073] The controller 26 controls the postural change amount during the winding operation. The following will describe the process of control of the postural change amount during the winding operation with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 10. In an initial state, the state of the winding device 4 is assumed to be, for example, a state before the winding of the yarn Y onto each of the bobbins B begins. The state before the winding begins may be, for example, a state before yarns are threaded to the yarn winder 4 (not illustrated). Alternatively, the state before the winding begins may be, for example, the state before the above-described bobbin change takes place (not illustrated).

[0074] To begin with, the operator inputs a set value of the contact pressure applied to each package P by the contact roller 25 into the controller 26 (step S101 shown in FIG. 10). The operator may input the numerical set value into the controller 26 through the above-described input unit (not illustrated), for example. Alternatively, the operator may select the set value of the contact pressure from a predetermined set of options. The controller 26 performs control of the contact pressure based on the input set value, in the winding operation executed after the step S101. The controller 26 controls the electro-pneumatic regulator 39 (see FIG. 2) in accordance with the set value of the contact pressure, so as to control the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 35. In addition, in the winding operation, the controller 26 performs control of the postural change amount as follows.

[0075] Subsequently, the controller 26 controls each component of the winding device 4 according to need and starts the winding of the yarns Y onto multiple new bobbins B (winding operation) (step S102). During the winding operation, the controller 26 periodically calculates the weight of each package P being formed and detects the actual postural change amount (step S103). Regarding the calculation of the weight of each package P, more specifically, for example, the controller 26 stores information of the ejection amount of the yarn Y per unit time discharged from the spinning apparatus 3 in advance. In addition, the controller 26 counts the elapsed time (winding time) from the start of the winding operation. The product of the ejection amount per unit time and the winding time is calculated as the current value of the weight of each package P (i.e., the weight of the yarn Y wound on each bobbin B) (hereinafter this will be referred to as current weight). The detection of the actual postural change amount is periodically carried out by the postural change sensor 66. The information on the actual postural change amount is information related to the actual tilt angle of the contact roller 25, including the effects of the contact pressure. The value of the actual postural change amount is equivalent to an actual angle-related value of the present invention.

[0076] Subsequently, the controller 26 acquires the target value of the postural change amount (step S104). To be more specific, the controller 26 performs the following process. The controller 26 takes into account the relationship between the weight of the package P and the target value of the postural change amount included in the above-described table, and calculates the target value of the postural change amount by, for example, known linear interpolation, based on the value of the current weight. Subsequently, the controller 26 calculates a change value of the postural change amount based on the difference between the target value of the postural change amount and the actual postural change amount (step 105). The method for calculating the change value of the postural change amount may be a known control method such as PID control. The method, however, is not limited to this, and a known control method such as known on-off control may be used. Subsequently, the controller 26 calculates a change value of the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 41 (see FIG. 4) from the change value of the postural change amount (step S106). Subsequently, the controller 26 calculates the target value based on the current value and the change value of the compressed air (step S107). Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the electro-pneumatic regulator 47 (see FIG. 4) based on the target value of the pressure of the compressed air. As a result, the pressure of the compressed air is updated (step S108). The controller 26 determines, after the step above, whether the package P is fully formed based on, for example, the winding time (step S109). When the controller 26 determines that the package P is not yet fully formed (step S109: No), the process returns to the step S103. When the controller 26 determines that the package P is fully formed (step S109: Yes), the winding operation related to the currently-formed package P is terminated (step S110). In this way, based on the information related to the actual angle-related value, the tilting mechanism 40 (see FIG. 4) is controlled so that the tilt angle becomes equal to the target value. The target value is uniquely determined based on the target value of the postural change amount obtained according to the current weight.

[0077] As described above, based on the information of the actual angle-related value related to the actual tilt angle of the contact roller 25, the tilting mechanism 40 is controlled so that the tilt angle becomes equal to a predetermined target value. This makes it possible to suppress the tilt angle from being deviated from the target value, without using the set value of the contact pressure. It is therefore possible to suppress the contact pressure from being different between the packages P even if the setting of the contact pressure applied to the packages P is changed.

[0078] In addition to the above, because the contact roller 25 typically extends long in the horizontal direction, the postural change amount in the vertical direction of the second main body 61 is easily detectable even with a small change in the tilt angle of the contact roller 25. For this reason, the postural change amount of the second main body 61 is effective as a physical quantity detected in place of the tilt angle. By detecting the postural change amount of the second main body 61 and controlling the tilting mechanism 40, the tilt angle of the contact roller 25 can be substantially controlled. It is therefore possible to effectively suppress the packages P from being different in contact pressure.

[0079] In addition to the above, by using the air cylinder 41 in the driving source of the tilting mechanism 40 and adjusting the output of the air cylinder 41 with the electro-pneumatic regulator 47, the structure of the yarn winder 4 can be simplified. In addition, the output of the air cylinder can be reliably adjusted with a simple configuration.

[0080] Furthermore, because the air cylinder 41 that is inexpensive as compared to a hydraulic cylinder (not illustrated) is used, the increase in cost of parts of the yarn winder 4 can be suppressed.

[0081] In addition to the above, the second main body 61 of the tilting mechanism 40 is driven by the air cylinder 41 to move the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30 up and down. As a result, as compared to a configuration in which an inner portion in the axial direction of the roller supporting member 30 is moved up and down, it is possible to suppress the change amount of the tilt angle relative to the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 to be small. This facilitates fine adjustment of the tilt angle.

[0082] In addition to the above, the tilting mechanism 40 has the intervention mechanism 42. On this account, a larger force is required when the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 is increased. Therefore, even when it is difficult to strictly adjust the thrust force of the air cylinder 41, the postural change amount of the roller supporting member 30 can be controlled accurately. Therefore, it is possible to accurately control the tilt angle of the contact roller 25.

[0083] Furthermore, the roller supporting member 30 can be stably supported at both ends by the second main body main body 61 and the air cylinder 35. Therefore, the contact pressure can be stably adjusted.

[0084] The following will describe modifications of the above-described embodiment. The members identical with those in the embodiment above will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the explanations thereof are not repeated. (1) In the embodiment above, the yarn winder 4 includes the postural change sensor 66, and the controller 26 is configured to control the postural change amount. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The following explanation is given with reference to FIG. 11(a) to FIG. 12. FIG. 11(a) relates to a modification and is a table showing the relationship between the weight of each package P and a target value of the pressure of the compressed air. FIG. 11(b) is a table showing the relationship between the contact pressure and an adjustment amount of the pressure of the compressed air. FIG. 12 relates to the modification and is a flowchart showing the control of the pressure of the compressed air during yarn winding. The controller 26, for example, stores in RAM a table (see FIG. 11(a)) that shows the relationship between the weight of each package P and the target value of the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 41 (hereinafter, this will be simply referred to as pressure of compressed air). In the example shown in FIG. 11(a), when the weight of the package P (hereinafter simply referred to as weight) is 0 kg, the target value of the pressure of the compressed air is 2A / 5 (the unit is kPa, same hereinafter). When the weight is W / 200 (the unit is kg, same hereinafter), the target value of the pressure is 3A / 4. When the weight is 6W / 25, the target value of the pressure of the compressed air is 4A / 5. When the weight is W, the target value of the pressure of the compressed air is A. The value of W indicating the weight of the package P is, for example, 16 kg, and the value of A indicating the target value of the pressure is, for example, 465 kPa. The disclosure, however, is not limited to these values. Furthermore, the controller 26 stores in RAM a table (see FIG. 11(b)) that shows the relationship between the set value of the contact pressure and the adjustment amount of the pressure of the compressed air. In the example shown in FIG. 11(b), when the set value of the contact pressure is 2C / 3 (the unit is N, same hereinafter), i.e., is lower than a standard value by C / 3, the adjustment amount of the target value of the pressure of the compressed air is +ΔA (the unit is kPa, same hereinafter). When the set value of the contact pressure is C (equal to the standard value), the adjustment amount of the target value of the pressure of the compressed air is zero. When the set value of the contact pressure is 4C / 3 (higher than the standard value by C / 3), the adjustment amount of the target value of the pressure of the compressed air is -ΔA. The value of C which indicates the set value of the contact pressure is, for example, 150N, and the value of ΔA which indicates the adjustment amount of the target value of the pressure of the compressed air is, for example, 30kPa. The disclosure, however, is not limited to these values. The controller 26 controls the pressure of the compressed air in consideration of the set value of the contact pressure, during the winding operation. The following describes the process of controlling the pressure of the compressed air during the winding operation with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 12. In an initial state, the state of the winding device 4 is, for example, a state before the winding of the yarn Y onto each of the bobbins B begins. To begin with, the operator inputs a set value of the contact pressure into the controller 26 (step S201 shown in FIG. 12). The controller 26 performs control of the contact pressure based on the input set value, in the winding operation executed after the step S201. In addition, in the winding operation, the controller 26 performs control of the pressure of the compressed air as follows. The controller 26 starts the winding operation (step S202). During the winding operation, the controller 26 periodically calculates the weight of each package P being formed (step S203). Subsequently, the controller 26 acquires the target value of the pressure of the compressed air (step S204). To be more specific, the controller 26 takes into account the relationship between the weight of the package P and the target value of the pressure of the compressed air included in the table shown in FIG. 11(a), and calculates the target value of the pressure of the compressed air by, for example, linear interpolation, based on the current weight. This target value is a provisional target value before the contact pressure is taken into consideration. Subsequently, the controller 26 reads the table shown in FIG. 11(b) and obtains information of the adjustment amount of the pressure of the compressed air according to the current set value of the contact pressure (step S205). The information of the adjustment amount of the pressure of the compressed air is equivalent to force adjustment information of the present invention. The controller 26 updates the target value of the pressure of the compressed air by adding the adjustment amount to the provisional target value (step S206). Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the electro-pneumatic regulator 47 based on the updated target value so as to update the pressure of the compressed air (step S207). Thereafter, the controller 26 determines whether the package P is fully formed or not (step S208). When the controller 26 determines that the package P is not yet fully formed (step S208: No), the process returns to the step S203. When the controller 26 determines that the package P is fully formed (step S208: Yes), the winding operation related to the currently-formed package P is terminated (step S209). In this way, based on the force adjustment information corresponding to the set value of contact pressure, an appropriate force (second force of the present invention) corresponding to the weight of the packages P can be applied to the contact roller 25. Because of this, the tilt angle can be adjusted appropriately. Therefore, in the same manner as in the embodiment above, it is possible to suppress the contact pressure from being different between the packages P even if the setting of the contact pressure applied to the packages P is changed. (2) In the embodiment above, the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 41 is adjusted by the electro-pneumatic regulator 47. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The pressure of the compressed air may be adjusted by, e.g., an unillustrated electric valve. The valve may be configured to be able to adjust the opening degree uninterruptedly or discontinuously. In this case, the valve is equivalent to the pressure adjuster of the present invention. (3) In the embodiment above, the tilting mechanism 40 (angle adjuster) includes the air cylinder 41. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. A hydraulic cylinder (not illustrated) may be provided instead of the air cylinder 41, for example. In this case, the hydraulic cylinder is equivalent to the fluid pressure cylinder of the present invention. (4) In the embodiment above, the angle adjuster includes the fluid pressure cylinder. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The angle adjuster may not include the fluid pressure cylinder. Alternatively, in place of the fluid pressure cylinder, for example, a magnetic cylinder that changes the thrust force by an adjustable magnetic force may be provided. Alternatively, for example, an unillustrated rack-and-pinion mechanism may be provided in place of the fluid pressure cylinder. (5) In the embodiment above, the intervention mechanism 42 includes the first intervention portion 50 and the second intervention portion 60. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the air cylinder 41 may be configured to directly move up and down the right end portion of the second main body 61, instead of the intervention mechanism 42. In this case, for example, a tension coil spring (not illustrated) may be interposed between the frame 28 and the second main body 61. As a result, the greater the postural change amount in the vertical direction of the right end portion of the second main body 61 from the initial position, the greater the force required to further increase the postural change amount. In this case, the tension coil spring is equivalent to the intervention mechanism of the present invention. The intervention mechanism may not be provided. (6) In the embodiment above, the tilting mechanism 40 is provided at the rear end portion of the frame 28, and the air cylinder 35 is configured to apply force to the front end portion of the roller supporting member 30. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The tilting mechanism 40 may be provided at the front end portion of the frame 28, and the air cylinder 35 may be configured to apply force to the rear end portion of the roller supporting member 30. Alternatively, as long as the tilt angle of the roller supporting member 30 is changeable, the tilting mechanism 40 may be provided at an intermediate part in the front-rear direction of the frame body 28. Furthermore, as long as the contact pressure is changeable, the air cylinder 35 may be provided at an intermediate part in the front-rear direction of the roller supporting member 30.

Claims

1. A yarn winder (4) comprising: a base (20); a bobbin holder (24) which holds bobbins (B) aligned in a predetermined axial direction having a horizontal component and is cantilevered by the base (20); a contact roller (25) which extends at least in the axial direction and applies a contact pressure to packages (P) formed by winding yarns (Y) onto the respective bobbins (B); a contact pressure changer (35) which is capable of changing the contact pressure by applying, to the contact roller (25), a first force whose magnitude is changeable at least in a vertical direction; an angle changer (40) which is capable of changing a tilt angle of the contact roller (25) relative to the horizontal direction by applying, to the contact roller (25), a second force which is different from the first force and whose magnitude is changeable at least in the vertical direction; a detection unit (66) which is configured to detect information of an actual angle-related value related to the actual tilt angle of the contact roller (25); and a controller (26), the controller (26) controlling the angle changer (40) such that the actual angle-related value is equal to a target value that is determined in accordance with the weight of the yarns (Y) wound onto the respective bobbins (B) and independently from a set value of the contact pressure.

2. The yarn winder (4) according to claim 1, further comprising a moving unit (61) which is movable at least in the vertical direction together with the contact roller (25), the detection unit (66) being configured to detect information regarding a postural change amount of the moving unit (61) in the vertical direction as the information of the actual angle-related value.

3. A yarn winder (4) comprising: a base (20); a bobbin holder (24) which holds bobbins (B) aligned in a predetermined axial direction having a horizontal component and is cantilevered by the base (20); a contact roller (25) which extends at least in the axial direction and applies a contact pressure to packages (P) formed by winding yarns (Y) onto the respective bobbins (B); a contact pressure changer (35) which is capable of changing the contact pressure by applying, to the contact roller (25), a first force whose magnitude is changeable at least in a vertical direction; an angle changer (40) which is capable of changing a tilt angle of the contact roller (25) relative to the horizontal direction by applying, to the contact roller (25), a second force which is different from the first force and whose magnitude is changeable at least in the vertical direction; and a controller (30), the controller (30) controlling the angle changer (40) by using force adjustment information related to an adjustment amount of the second force in accordance with a set value of the contact pressure.

4. The yarn winder (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, the angle changer (40) includes: a fluid pressure cylinder (41) as a driving source for applying the second force to the contact roller (25); and a pressure adjuster (47) which is configured to be able to adjust pressure of fluid supplied to the fluid pressure cylinder (41).

5. The yarn winder (4) according to claim 4, wherein, the fluid pressure cylinder (41) is an air cylinder (41).

6. The yarn winder (4) according to claim 5, wherein, the pressure adjuster (47) is an electro-pneumatic regulator (47).

7. The yarn winder (4) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, the angle changer (40) includes: a roller supporting member (30) which supports the contact roller (25) to be rotatable; and an elevation unit (42) which is driven by the fluid pressure cylinder (41) and is configured to move up and down one end portion in the axial direction of the roller supporting member (30).

8. The yarn winder (4) according to claim 7, wherein, the elevation unit (42) includes an intervention mechanism (42) which is provided between the fluid pressure cylinder (41) and the roller supporting member (30) in a transmission direction in which a force of the fluid pressure cylinder (41) is transmitted, and is arranged to increase a force required to further increase the postural change amount as the postural change amount of the one end portion in the axial direction of the roller supporting member (30) increases in the vertical direction relative to an initial position.

9. The yarn winder (4) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, the contact pressure changer (35) is configured to apply the first force to the contact roller (25) by applying a force to the other end portion in the axial direction of the roller supporting member (30).

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